News You Need to Know

City of Cedar Rapids Seeks Property Owners’ Assistance Updating Water Service-Line Records

The Cedar Rapids Water Division (CRWD) is working to update its records of water service lines. A service line is the connection between water distribution pipes in the street and the water meter in a customer’s home or business.

Some older houses and buildings in Cedar Rapids still utilize lead plumbing or may have a lead service line between the water main and water meter. Lead can leach into water during overnight contact with lead pipes and faucets in older buildings. To reduce the risk of dissolved lead from old pipes, CRWD adds lead corrosion control to its water supply. This consists of a very low concentration of zinc ortho-phosphate, a mineral that reduces the risk of dissolved lead in consumers’ water. This small amount of mineral has long been proven safe for consumption.

An updated citywide service-line inventory isrequired under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s recently revised Lead- Copper rule. To better manage resources and costs, the CRWD is asking for help from residents and business owners to identify private water service-line material. Residents are encouraged to complete the survey, regardless of the age of their home or business.

> Take the survey online at: CityofCR.com/inventory

Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz challenges every resident to collect at least one bag of litter each year in an effort to clean up the city.

Last June, the community set a new record for litter collection in Cedar Rapids through the City Manager’s 1-Bag Challenge. A total of 4,476 bags of litter were collected between July 2020 and June 2021 by resident volunteers, the City’s Solid Waste & Recycling Division, and contracted workers. This nearly doubles the previous record set in 2018 of 2,341 bags.

To date, the challenge has inspired volunteers to fill nearly 21,000 bags, removing a whopping 260 estimated tons of trash from City streets since the program began in 2012.

Pomeranz is more than pleased with the results. “Litter and debris were additional challenges for our community after the derecho. Our residents once again rose to the occasion,” he said. “Our volunteers’ dedication to the 1-Bag Challenge proves the pride we all take in Cedar Rapids.”

The City Manager’s 1-Bag Challenge is a great way you can show how much you care about Cedar Rapids.

> Find out where you can pick up your free kit and join the City Manager’s 1-Bag Challenge at www.CleanUpCR.com.